About
Animal Facts
Common Name:
Black Bear
Scientific Name:
Ursus americanus
Behavior:
  • Black bears are solitary animals.
  • They communicate through facial displays, sounds, and scent marking.
  • Depending on weather conditions, black bears may enter an extreme state of inactivity ("torpor") in the winter, but it is not hibernation.
Diet:
Omnivore
Height:
3 ft
Weight:
400 lb
Length:
5 ft
Life Span:
22 yrs
Gestation Period:
220 days
Number of Young:
2-3
Habitats:
  • Forest
  • Shrubland
  • Wetlands
Fun Facts:
  • The black bear actually comes in an array of colors, including black, brown, cinnamon, glacier blue, blonde, and white.
  • Claws are short, extremely sharp, and great for climbing trees.
  • Black bears are important seed dispersers of the plants they eat.
Endangered Status
Endangered Status
  • Extinct in Wild (EW)
  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Near Threatened (NT)
  • Least Concern (LC)
  • Not Evaluated (NE)

Keeping the minds and bodies of these intelligent bears active is important. Zookeepers provide daily enrichment to stimulate natural behaviors. Puzzle feeders, hiding food, adding unique scents around their habitat, and providing fun treats such as honey all elicit these behaviors.